The Most Important Thing
by prpl pen
Summary: Rukia has agreed to help her train for battle, but is Orihime really ready to face the challenge? Takes place after chapter 228. Written for Empatheia. ONESHOT.


Orihime worried at her lower lip as Rukia paced out the distance between them. The shinigami turned, and paused, her eyes fixed carefully on Orihime's face. "Are you sure you want to do this now, Inoue?"

She nodded in answer, a determined look replacing the uncertain one. _Kuchiki-san is so patient, to help me train. I won't let her down. _"I'm ready, Kuchiki-san," she called.

"Then–" Rukia took a defensive stance, keeping a close eye on her opponent. "–come at me, Inoue!"

Orihime hesitated for a moment, but it was only a moment. Then she rushed forward, bringing her hands up to her hairpins. "Koten Zanshun, I reject!" Still running, she pointed, her finger extending into the line of assault. "Go, Tsubaki-kun!" He was off like a shot, only a blur as he sped forward, yet Rukia was prepared. She brought up Sode no Shirayuki to easily deflect the attack, angling her zanpakutou so Tsubaki would hit the flat of her blade rather than being cut. The diminutive fighter bounced to the ground, cursing, and Orihime raced to scoop him up in her hands. "Oh! Tsubaki-kun!"

"What are you doing, woman?" Tsubaki demanded, glaring at her. He stood and kicked at one of her thumbs before leaping up to hover before her in the air. "I've told you for the last time, you must fire me with conviction or not at all!"

Orihime sighed, lifting her hand and bringing the injured thumb to her mouth. She sucked at it lightly and hung her head. "I'm sorry, Tsubaki-kun. I just can't--I _don't_ want to hurt Kuchiki-san."

"...Inoue." Rukia took a step forward, sheathing Sode no Shirayuki at her side. "It's all right. We don't have to worry about attacks. We can just work on your defensive abilities for now."

"N-no!" Orihime looked up, flapping her hands quickly. "I think it's important to practice with Tsubaki-kun!" She looked at Rukia, doing her best to smile, though she still looked flustered. "Please, Kuchiki-san, let's try one more time, at least."

Rukia's brow furrowed slightly but she didn't argue. "All right." Turning her back to Orihime, she began to walk, putting some distance between them again. "Once more, then."

Orihime nodded, taking a deep breath. _Conviction, conviction..._ She closed her eyes, first picturing Rukia in an attack stance. "No," she murmured. "That won't work." She squeezed her eyes tighter and superimposed a death robot over Rukia--red eyes and metal teeth, with rocket launchers and a flame thrower! "Ooooh." She shivered, then giggled as she added a wicked-looking metallic scorpion's tail and a springy antenna.

A sharp, painful tug at a hank of her hair brought her out of her imaginings. "Wake _up_, woman!" Orihime's eyes flew open and she gasped. Rukia was racing towards her; not at top speed, but faster than any human could move--now in mid-leap, descending like death from above, zanpakutou raised to deliver a killing blow.

"Tsubaki-kun!" She willed him into immediate action, responding reflexively, jumping forward to the ground even as he launched his attack. There was a pained cry. She hit her elbows hard on the dirt, pulling herself into as small a ball as she could manage, rolling with the momentum. She felt her hair snag on bits of root and twig and her skin poked painfully by small sharp rocks, but not the cut of Rukia's blade--not that she expected Rukia to actually hurt her in any way, not really. _Just, for a moment there, it seemed like Kuchiki-san was really serious._ She braced her palms against the ground and pushed herself up, laughing self-consciously. "I'm sorry, Kuchiki-san; I overreacted." She reached up to flip her disarrayed hair from her eyes--and froze.

Rukia was down on one knee, panting, her right hand tightly gripping her left shoulder. Blood welled up and dripped from between her fingers, staining her robes an even darker shade of black. A few splashes of red were stark against Sode no Shirayuki's blade. She was smiling.

Orihime gasped, calling Shun'ou and Ayame forth as she got to her feet. "Kuchiki-san! I'm sorry! I–"

"Don't be," Rukia interrupted, her voice firm. "This is what you wanted, Inoue."

Orihime shook her head quickly, tears welling in her eyes even as she moved into position to heal her friend. "No! It's just that I didn't have time to think, and I panicked, and--I didn't mean to hurt you, Kuchiki-san! I know you wouldn't have really hurt _me_!"

Now Rukia shook her head. "If you hadn't acted, I would have. I just thought...if there was a threat, and you didn't have time to think, maybe..." She started to shrug, then gasped in pain as fresh blood spilled from her shoulder.

"Please hold still," Orihime said, worry creasing her brow as she watched Rukia through the glow of her inner shield. "This will only take a little while." Rukia closed her eyes, silently obeying. Orihime felt, rather than saw, the shattered bone reform itself whole, the cleaved flesh knit itself together. Breathing a relieved sigh, Orihime rocked back onto her heels, Shun'ou, Tsubaki, and Ayame returning to their places on her hairpins. "Do you feel okay now, Kuchiki-san?"

Rukia nodded, grabbing Sode no Shirayuki from the ground to wipe the blade clean and resheath it at her side. She stood, giving her shoulder an experimental rotation and looking pleased with the results. "Tell me, Inoue," she said, offering a hand to pull Orihime to her feet, "why are you so eager to learn how to fight? It seems to me that your true skill lies in healing others, not hurting them. Is it because of what Urahara said to you?"

"No. It's not that, really." Orihime thought for a moment, her face solemn. "I-I know that I'm not a great fighter like you or Tatsuki-chan or Kurosaki-kun. I just–" Her hands dropped to twist the hem of her sweater vest. "I just want to be able to hold my own. If I can fight, then no one will have to worry about me."

"I only wish that were true. Honestly, Inoue, it doesn't work that way," Rukia said, frowning.

"Oh?" Orihime looked at her, confusion clear on her face. "I-I know I will never be a great fighter, but Kuchiki-san is so amazing! If you teach me, then at least I won't be a burden to any of you anym–"

"You have never been a burden," Rukia cut in. She sighed, scrubbing a hand over her face. "But...that's not what I meant. I just mean...it doesn't matter how good you get at fighting. I–we will always worry about you. Because you are our friend, and we love you." She took Orihime by the wrist, pulling the girl's hand close and cupping it in both of her own. "It's the same for any of us. You still worry about Ichigo when he's fighting, don't you?" She paused, waiting for Orihime's answering nod. "Well, so do I. And I'll worry about you, too, because I want you to be safe." She traced the delicate line of one of Orihime's fingers with her thumb, searching for the right words. "I just want to know that you are doing this for the right reasons. Not for me, or for Ichigo, but for _yourself_. That's...all I want to know."

Orihime sucked in a deep breath. "I see what you mean." She paused, chewing at her lower lip as she thought. "But...yes, Kuchiki-san. I'm training hard every day, and not just fighting! This isn't just because of feeling weak, or not wanting others to worry. It's because I want to help my friends, and to me, that is the most important thing!" She smiled, watching Rukia carefully. "That's all right, isn't it?"

Rukia released her hand. "Yes, Inoue," she said, an answering smile coming to her face. "That's the way it should be. Now...would you like to try it again?"

"Oh! Yes, of course, Kuchiki-san!" Beaming, Orihime ran back to take her position.


End file.
